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New Life sets up outpost at Indian Park in Cape GirardeauMonday, July 6, 2009
Rice, who said he has not given up on obtaining the federal building at 339 Broadway to use as a homeless shelter, set up an outpost of his New Life Evangelistic Center with the help of the NAACP's Southeast Missouri chapter. From 1 p.m. Saturday until 7 p.m. today, there will be a continuous presence, with offerings of free food and clothing as well as information about his ministry, an affiliated renewable energy cooperative and the needs of the homeless. "This event is to reach out to the community and show we mean to help," Rice said. But along with the words of accommodation, signs posted in the park shelter showed another reason for the two-day presence -- to challenge city leaders who have opposed Rice's shelter plan. "Those who oppose the poor insult their maker but those who are kind to the needy honor him." read one sign that quoted Proverbs. "Stand up to discrimination against the homeless," read another. "Homeless in Cape Girardeau need more than just two nights in a hotel. They need a hand up, not a hand out," a third sign said. Since Rice first applied for the building, city leaders have sought to show that homelessness in Cape Girardeau is an issue that is under control. To fill gaps, they have proposed seeking funds to build nine units of transitional housing to help people move to self-sufficiency and Cape Girardeau County officials have agreed to apply for a $171,000 grant to assist people who need temporary help paying their rent. "Established agencies have not wanted to admit there is a problem," Rice said. "All those programs are good, but they do not solve the problem. When someone ends up homeless, they need a place to go." Rice's application for the federal building was rejected May 29. In denying the request, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Rice's application failed to show how he planned to coordinate services, failed to demonstrate a sufficient need, proposed a timeline for implementing the programs that was too slow and didn't show the financial strength to make good on its promises. After initial opposition, Rice has started to build a local coalition of support, with Deborah Young, president of the local NAACP chapter, leading that effort. She continues to collect signatures on petitions supporting Rice's plan for the federal building. Since adding her support to Rice, Young said she has learned that homelessness in Cape Girardeau is a hidden problem. Don't look under bridges or on benches near 24-hour stores for the homeless, she said. Instead, take a close look at who is living on the couch at a neighbor's home, she said. "If you look at the fact that a homeless person is any individual who does not have a legal address, then I have found that a lot of times it is individuals living on top of each other," Young said. Young participated in one city planning meeting that included organizations that have taken a stand against Rice's plan. She said she walked out because the group seemed intent on viewing the problem from a narrow perspective. "It was a waste of time," she said. "They just wanted to say they invited me." Young said she supports Rice because Cape Girardeau needs change. "If we want to change anything, we have to stand up, get involved and be counted." 388-3642 Pertinent addresses: Indian Park, Cape Girardeau, MO 339 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, MO
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"Young said she supports Rice because Cape Girardeau needs change. "If we want to change anything, we have to stand up, get involved and be counted."
CHANGE Hmmm, where have I heard that before. I am afraid the change they have in mind is much like Obama's change. NOTHING! Just more handouts for those that won't work. On both counts.
No, Larry Rice, take your campaign somewhere else. We don't need anymore deadbeats to feed. I am taxed to death supporting people that won't work.
Several of us went by the park between the hours they where to be there and the turn out to us was a FLOP.... If Larry Rice acts like he had this BIG
TURN OUT he is not being truthful at all.We drove by each hour until 7:20, We sat there long enough that we did see several people come out of their house walk over to the park get some stuff and went back home while laughing all the way back down the street.As for Deborah Young NAACP President,She needs to set her sights on helping Cape in other ways. He isn't out to help the needy he's out to help the greedy as in "HIMSELF"
so if she wants to take that fall with him by all means just hang in there and she'll get her own dose of being snowballed by Rice's smooth talk-en antics.
I agree with the above comments. Mr. Rice is only trying to pad his pockets. I pray for him and his followers that they first of all repent and then allow God to guide them in his direction for the needs of the homeless and less fortunate. Its seems to me we have a lot of programs out there to meet the needs of the less fortunate. Jobs are out there you just have to be willing to look and accept one. I would think flipping burgers is better than nothing?
Cape Girardeau, like other communities across this land is full of people looking for a hand out just like this. Many are that way because they refuse to work and provide for themselves. These are the folks that are always first in line when the "give-aways" begin, and a large percentage are either addicted to drugs or alcohol, and their main concern is getting the next drink or fix, while many others are taught from an early age how to play the system and expect the government to pay their way. The CHANGE that those people are looking for is a "bigger hand-out". Helping others is a fine thing to do, when they need the help, but "hand-outs" and welfare to those who abuse the system at tax payer expense is unforgivable. I totally agree with the words of Keep-on-Truckin!
I watched 3 sign holders at WALMART in jackson walk acrost the parking lot and get in a car saturday evening. All 3 had signs that said,Vetran need help,Homeless need help,Hungry need help. But they had gas to get there and to leave.Maybe they should look for a JOB not a handout!!!
Ok - where is the count? Exactly how many homeless Cape people were there?
How many homeless people were from St Louis?
My favorite quote is when Rice says the homeless needs a "hand up not a hand out". then why doesn't he practice what he preaches? The homeless people he "helps" are homeless 10 years later.
eight tents, about 20 people, have of them are NAACP. NO local homeless down there, where's the 2000+ homeless at? Rain keeping them back???
"Don't look under bridges or on benches near 24-hour stores for the homeless, she said. Instead, take a close look at who is living on the couch at a neighbor's home, she said."
If their at a neighbor's home, I don't guess they're homeless then. It's sounds like a friend helping out a friend.
See ya Larry. You need to get back up to St. Louis and make sure one of your homeless isn't carving up another homeless.
Okay. It just dawned on me. If you have a NEIGHBOR, do you not have to have a HOME?
Uh Uh Uh, I might be blind as a bat but even I can see this is a racket baby... Hello!
Keep-On-Truckin, Megalo...thanks for keeping us posted! By all accounts, this area has their homeless/needy covered! Move on, Rice.
zeroit, this is terrible. Similiar stories have been shared. It is a shame b/c of people like this the truly needy may not get the help they need.
I'm having a hard time finding sympathy for Larry Rice and his followers. Giving people a place to sleep at night is not the answer to recovering from homelessness,just another tool to enable that situation to continue. Larry, devote your time and energies to helping these people become productive citizens by providing viable work programs, drug and alcohol rehab, learning social skills and good work ethics. Come back to Cape when you've proven that this venture isn't just another handout for those who don't want to make better choices for themselves.
Uh, please permit me dedicate this song to Reverend Rice, I feel it says everything that needs to be said about this situation.
1, 2, 124....
Hit the road jack
and don't ya come back no more no more
hit the road jack and don't ya come back no mo'
Thank You
Hello!
Definitions of Homeless:
Per dictionary:
ADJECTIVE:
Having no home or haven.
NOUN: (used with a pl. verb)
People without homes considered as a group. Often used with the.
FEDERAL DEFINITION OF HOMELESS:
§11302. General definition of homeless individual
(a) In general
For purposes of this chapter, the term "homeless" or "homeless individual or homeless person" includes--
an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; and
an individual who has a primary nighttime residence that is --
a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the mentally ill);
an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or
a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
(b) Income eligibility
In general
A homeless individual shall be eligible for assistance under any program provided by this chapter, only if the individual complies with the income eligibility requirements otherwise applicable to such program.
Exception
Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a homeless individual shall be eligible for assistance under title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 [29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.].
(c) Exclusion
For purposes of this chapter, the term "homeless" or "homeless individual" does not include any individual imprisoned or otherwise detained pursuant to an Act of the Congress or a State law.
Ok...any official tally on this?? Did it hit 10,000 or 20,000? There were tons of them...right?? Come on now, don't hold back...I'm sure you have a big ole fat number to amaze us with. LOL!
"Young said she has learned that homelessness in Cape Girardeau is a hidden problem. Don't look under bridges or on benches near 24-hour stores for the homeless, she said. Instead, take a close look at who is living on the couch at a neighbor's home, she said."
Lame! So you're telling me, that I should be looking for Sasquatch in plain sight? Eating at Shoney's? Working the drive-thru at McDonald's? Greeter at Walmart?
I must have been homeless during college, and didn't even know it. I couldn't count how many different beds and couches I woke up on.
I guess all the girls that I found in my bed the next morning during those years were also homeless.
Megs and spank,
you beat me to the punch. I had copied Young's quote about sleeping at a neighbor's house because I don't consider them homeless. It was funny that you said verbatim what my post was going to say. Deborah Young, the people that you referred to sleeping on a neighbor's couch are juvenile delinquents who ran away from mom and dad's or whose parents simply can't control them. They belong at the Division of Family Services. Not in a homeless shelter.
Rice was wrong.
Young made herself look like a fool, which is shame, I like the woman.
The old fed bldg does NOT need to be a hang out for people who can't get it together.
I just figured out who Deborah Young is, she ran for Public administrator in Cape Girardeau County in 2004 and then County Treasurer in 2008. Yep, another person grabbing for "careers" in politics, rather than running for the right reasons. Now...she's bedfellows with Rice and his fictious 2000+ Cape Girardeau Homeless. I've just about made up my mind, I might have to run against Megalomania for Presiding Commissioner. OR Mayor.
See! Larry TOLD you that the homeless are sleeping on mom and dad's couch while they wait to go to school next summer! They too can realize the exciting and wonderful world of renewable energy and become skilled mixing oil in a blender before they "make them some money".
If they hooked a turbine up to Larry's mouth they could produce a lot more energy from his hot air and it's renewable too! It just never goes away.
I still don't understand why there haven't been any official numbers of the amount of homeless who attended this event.
i was at a friends house yesterday and a "homeless" person came by asking for change. my friend gave her some. she then went to houses down the block. she just WALKED in to an elderly persons home asking for change. what the hell? when is it ok to just walk in to someone's house asking for money. i don't know if they called the police or not. i know this has nothing to do w/ this story. in a way.
There should be a place where all homeless can go for help, be in the system, jobs, mental health. You could be a good honest family who has never been in this situation before, but now has no where to go. I don't know where they get the idea it should be a flophouse for long term residence. It should be a sorting station as to helping people to be directed to the help they need and perhaps temporary shelter and food. I've been down and out and brother there was no help! I was ignorant because I had never been in that position before. It sure would have been nice to go to a place that would have listened and directed you to real help. Maybe if some of you had ever been in that positon you would be more compassionate.
ArcticFox,
I bet when you were in that position, you were wishing there was a Fireworks stand you could have worked in.
Oh wait...you hate fireworks, I forgot.
"I'm with you. Seems everyone does what they want, when ever they want. I just wear earplugs and bear it. My area sounded like "Shock and Awe" but I'm sure the police had better things to do than listen to me complain about noise."
-- Posted by ArcticFox on Mon, Jul 6, 2009, at 1:41 PM
Yeah, a real bummer how one's words can come back to slap them in the face...huh?
COMPASSION....
I show compassion towards other all the time and to those that are trying to pick themselves up & work any job they can find & do their best. HOWEVER I don't really have any compassion when it comes to making the choice of NOT getting up off your butt and taking the steps to find work and be a productive person.I've said it before "Many of these people want to live in this manner and will do NOTHING to better themselves" they have no responsabilites,no bills and for the most part every thing else is free. So it's easier for some to be considered "Homeless" than it is to be responsible.
Meggie
I don't know what working at a fireworks stand has to do with showing compassion to people who may need help. No, I don't like fireworks. Thats my opinion. I'm entitled to one like everyone else. How fortunate for you, apparently you have never been in a position of being down and out. Everyone should do a year of extreme poverty, its a real character builder, and I don't mean eating salad while going to college.